Former Bantam, Coug Chatfield headlines local connections to March Madness

When the third-seeded Iowa State men’s basketball team tips off against No. 14 seed Lipscomb at 10:30 a.m. Pacific today on TNT, Clarkston boys basketball coach Justin Jones knows exactly where he will be.

“I’ll be pacing in my living room, and probably yelling at the TV a little bit,” Jones said.

That’s because Brandton Chatfield, a 2019 Clarkston High School grad and former Bantam basketball player, will take the court for the Iowa State Cyclones in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

“I’m so excited for him,” Jones said. “Really proud of him and the way that he represents himself and what he represents for Clarkston basketball as well.”

Chatfield played his final two years of high school basketball in Clarkston after moving across state lines from Orofino.

The 6-foot-10 forward was part of a Bantam boys basketball squad that placed fourth in the 2019 Washington 2A state tournament.

His basketball journey led him from Orofino to Clarkston to Pullman to Seattle to Ames, Iowa to March Madness.

The fifth-year senior plays 14.5 minutes and averages 3.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per game for Iowa State.

Former Washington State coach Kyle Smith recruited Chatfield out of the Cougars’ backyard. After redshirting his first year, the former Maniac and Bantam saw the court sparingly as a redshirt freshman during a 14-13 Cougar campaign in 2020-21. That spring, he transferred to Seattle U.

His playing time spiked in the Western Athletic Conference. Chatfield turned in 13.8 minutes per game in 2021-22 at Seattle U before making 30 starts the following year. As a senior Redhawk last season, Chatfield started each of Seattle U’s 37 contests and posted a career-high 9.4 points per game.

Seattle U won at least 20 games in each of his three seasons.

Chatfield parlayed a solid WAC career into a Big 12 roster spot. He joined the Cyclones at the right time, contributing to a 24-9 showing that has Iowa State primed for a potentially deep run in the Big Dance.

The center/forward not only played basketball but ran track as well in high school. Jones said Chatfield’s sheer athleticism and work ethic made him a natural fit for Bantam basketball.

“It was eye-opening,” Jones said. “Especially at the high school level, what a difference-maker he was.”

From rebounding to shot blocking to defense in the paint, Jones said that Chatfield has played his role for each of his teams.

“He’s an energy guy,” Jones said. “Everywhere he’s played, including Clarkson High School, his teammates absolutely love him, and his coaches absolutely love him. And I think that’s really the legacy that Brandt will have here.

“He shows up every day. He works his butt off. And I think when he’s done at Iowa State, he’s gonna have a chance to continue to play. I have no doubt he’ll play professionally at some level.”

Chatfield’s trajectory through three different schools in six seasons has become the norm in college basketball.

“It’s such a great success story for any kid that wants to continue to go play,” Jones said. “It’s about finding the right fit, and it’s about finding a role that you’re really good at, and then not being afraid to just take that jump and go to the next place and the next place.”

Chatfield returns to the valley in the summer and visits the current Clarkston boys basketball team alongside recent alumni such as Trevon Allen, a former Idaho Vandal who plays professionally overseas.

In the spirit of bracket season, Jones said he has Chatfield and Iowa State advancing to the Elite Eight.

“It’s hard not to pick Iowa State when you know Brandt’s there,” Jones said. “I must say, if they make it to the national championship and they win, I’ll lose every bracket pool that I’m in, I don’t even care. I would much rather him hoist that championship banner, that would be super cool.”

Other local March Madness connections:

Avery Howell, USC

Howell, of Boise, has spent about 20 minutes per game on the court as a freshman for the No. 1-seeded USC women’s basketball team. Her mother, Rosie Howell (formerly Rosie Albert) is Lewis-Clark State women’s basketball’s all-time leading scorer. Avery Howell’s father grew up in the LC Valley and her brother is a former basketball player and current student at LCSC. For more on Avery Howell, check out Saturday’s Tribune.

Ben Gregg, Gonzaga

The Gonzaga senior is back in the big dance and has deep Lewiston roots. Gregg’s uncle, Gordy Gregg, a former LCSC basketball player, served as Lewiston’s fire chief for 31 years. Ben Gregg’s father, Matt Gregg, played basketball at LCSC and Idaho. The No. 8-seeded Zags beat Georgia in Round 1 on Thursday and play Houston on Saturday.

Kelvin Sampson, Houston head coach

Sampson spent about a decade on the Palouse beginning in 1985 as an assistant and then taking over as the head coach of WSU men’s basketball in 1987.

He led the Cougars to their first NCAA Tournament in 11 years in 1994. Between WSU, Oklahoma, Indiana and Houston, 2025 is his 20th March Madness appearance. The former WSU coach is still searching for a national championship. Sampson’s No. 1-seeded Houston Cougars won their first-round game and play Gonzaga on Saturday.

Rueben Chinyelu, Florida

The former Coug transferred to Florida after contributing to WSU’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 16 years last season.

As a sophomore role player on the No. 1-seeded Gators, Chinyelu has spent 19.2 minutes per game on the hardwood with 6.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

Dishon Jackson, Iowa State

Jackson played at WSU for two seasons from 2020-22 and sat out his junior season because of injury. After a stop at Charlotte, the 6-11 center transferred to Iowa State, where he has started 31 out of 33 games and poured in 8.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. At Iowa State, Jackson is reunited with his freshman-year WSU teammate Chatfield.

Charlisse Leger-Walker, UCLA

The four-year Coug sat out this season recovering from an ACL tear which cut her WSU career short. She transferred to now No. 1-seeded UCLA but took a medical redshirt in 2024-25 and is expected to return to the Bruins’ active roster next season.

Taylor can be reached at 208-848-2268, staylor@lmtribune.com, or on X or Instagram @Sam_C_Taylor.